The dental art provides various methods and apparatus for compensating for the loss of natural teeth. For example, the natural tooth can be replaced with a prosthetic tooth that is mounted on a unibody implant or a separate abutment secured to an implant. In the instance utilizing a separate implant and abutment, the implant is first installed in the patient's jawbone, typically through threaded engagement. A separate abutment is then secured to the coronal end of the implant and, after sufficient osseointegration of the implant with the patient's jawbone, the prosthetic tooth is secured to the abutment. In a dental restoration involving a unibody or one-piece implant, the implant is installed into the patient's jaw bone and allowed sufficient time to osseointegrate. After this period of time, the prosthetic tooth is installed on the coronal end of the unibody implant.
In the process of performing a dental restoration, it may be desirable to make a model of the patient's mouth to assist in preparing the prosthetic tooth. In such an instance, an impression or transfer coping can be utilized to promote accuracy in the model. An impression coping is placed on an abutment or unibody implant before an impression of the patient's mouth is taken. When the impression material is removed from the patient's mouth, the coping remains in the impression material and is disengaged from the abutment or unibody implant. An analog of the one-piece implant or of an implant and abutment assembly is inserted into the coping that is still engaged in the impression material. Casting material is poured into the impression and around the analog creating a model of the patient's mouth. This allows for an accurate location of the implant or abutment in the patient's mouth and helps to ensure that the prosthetic tooth will fit properly once installed.